We awoke Monday morning at Wilson Lake with only a short distance to travel to reach Joe Wheeler State Park near Rogersville, Alabama. 
Our anchorage was so lovely that I really did not want to leave but the rendezvous awaits… We traveled the several miles across Wilson Lake to Wheeler Lock and Dam. Again we were very fortunate in that we did not have any wait at the lock. This rise in this lock is not as high as Wilson Lock and Dam in that it was only 43 feet but it went rather quickly. There is something truly spectacular and somewhat magical about being in a lock that rises. It is like being a large box where you start at the bottom with wet slimy concrete walls all around and above you with churning water underneath you.
You slowly rise to the top, then the doors open and this wonderful lake unfolds in front of you. It is like being transported into another place – which I guess is really what is happening…
The Tennessee River is rather wide at this point. The Wheeler Park is located at First Creek just beyond the lock about 3 miles. The park follows the river for several miles so the area is undeveloped and absolutely gorgeous.
We are the last boat to arrive at the marina when we got there about 1p on Monday afternoon. The rendezvous officially started Monday evening at 6p but it seems that everyone else arrived a few days early to enjoy the park. We found our slip assignment and were met by several Loopers who greeted us warmly and caught our lines. We had just enough time to take quick showers, check in at the marina and get our registration packet before the evening’s festivities were to begin.
America’s Great Loop Cruising Association is the sponsoring organization of this rendezvous. The one thing that you consistently hear people talk about when they “do the Loop” is the people that they meet along the way, primarily fellow Loopers. This became very evident to us the minute that we hit the docks. While everyone is basically taking the same trip, we each have a different agenda, outlook and take on the same experiences. People are very willing to share their opinions (helpful and not so helpful), their mistakes, accomplishments and their encounters along the way. At dinner on Monday evening, certificates were presented to the Loopers who had completed the Loop during the last year. Each couple told a short recap of their trip and it was interesting to see all the different ways that we approach the same route. Some people completed the trip in less than a year and there are some (like Mark and I) who are taking several years to complete the Loop. People can start at any point in the Loop and travel either clockwise or counter clockwise depending on their whims. The common thread is the camaraderie and genuine friendship that seems to spread like wildfire through this group of people. Truly there were no strangers in this room after the first session.
Our days were filled with extremely informative class sessions related to the areas in which we will be traveling in the next few months; the Tenn-Tom, crossing the Gulf, Florida Keyes, the Bahamas, Georgia and the Carolinas. The speakers were well informed and quite entertaining. We throughly enjoyed Claiborne Young's discussion and Mark promptly purchased his crusing guides. All of our meals were provided and each evening a cocktail hour was held prior to dinner where we could further mingle and schmooze. Mark and I met several couples that I am sure we will keep in contact with and encounter as we travel.
On Tuesday and Wednesday, we had boat crawls where we could all see each other’s boats. It was very interesting to see how others travel.
The Lolligag was the second smallest boat in attendance and was by far the most spartan (my motto of less is more was very apparent). Most of the boats were 50-60 feet in length with Mainship being the brand most represented of the boats present, followed by Kady Krogans and DeFevers. We were the only Nordic Tug so lots of people wanted to see our boat. About half of the attendees live on their boats full time with no land home. It was fascinating to see how these boats are equipped and how these folks adapted to living on the water. Hands down, they said that they did not miss their former homes and that they have no difficulty staying in touch with family and/or in dealing with life issues like finances and current events. Most boats have a TV satellite dish with multiple television sets aboard. We (once again) were the exception in that we do not have a dish and we only watch movies on our TV unless we are at a marina that has cable. I did cave in and agree to purchase a cable cord for the times when we can access cable. I do think Mark was having serious boob tube withdrawal and he seems to perk up when he is able to watch yet another re-run of America’s Funniest Videos.
Since we arrived later than most, we decided to stay a couple of extra days to explore the park and the surrounding area. 
On Friday, we hiked the trails in the park and then on Saturday we rode our bikes into Rogersville. The bike ride was only about five miles each way but it was uphill in both directions and it was really really hot. Neither of us has seriously ridden our bikes in almost a month so we totally crashed when we got back. Needless to say we slept well that evening.
There will be informal rendezvous at Marsh Harbor in the Bahamas in the spring and the next official rendezvous will be in Charleston in April. We are certainly planning to join the group at Marsh Harbor and will probably attend the spring rendezvous as well. Hours on the water: 2
Nautical miles traveled: 10
Number of locks: 1
Time spent waiting at locks: 0
Tomorrow's Destination: None
What we're listening to: I am Charlotte Simmons by Tom Wolfe
What we watched: 0
Lesson for the day: Less is still more
Obligatory knitting report: I did not knit once during the time at the rendezvous
No comments:
Post a Comment